Zulu dancers, Grease and more at this year’s Hailsham Festival

Schedules and performances for the 2018 Hailsham Festival in September have been finalised, with the programme promising a rich tapestry of events and exhibitions.

The 2018 Hailsham Festival will take place from Saturday, September 8, to September 23, and promises to be every bit as exciting as in previous years.

The art trail will include more than 100 artists showing at venues across Hailsham and the surrounding area, while dance, drama, theatre, poetry, literature, cinema and music (including jazz and folk) will once again be strongly represented.

As ever, the festival will provide a rich showcase for local talent as well as the opportunity to enjoy performances from further afield.

Zulu Tradition is a company of young Zulu singers and dancers who rekindle their culture and heritage and deliver a heady mix of African harmonies that includes traditional songs as well as Afro-Gospel, with drum rhythms and high energy, athletic dance.

They will be at the Hailsham Pavillion on Saturday, September 22, and running a free-to-attend afternoon workshop prior to their evening performances.

Dancing of a different tradition will feature on Saturday, September 15, when the Long Man Morris Men take to the cobbles in the High Street.

Top ABBA tribute act Abalicious will perform a concert at Hailsham Parish Church on Thursday, September 13.

Helping get the festival off to a lively and entertaining start on the opening Saturday in Hailsham High Street will be street performers, including buskers, stilt walkers and rockabilly band The Memphis Flyers.

One of the festival’s main events will be Hailsham Theatres’ production of Oh! What a Lovely War at the Summerheath Hall (September 20-22, 7.30pm).

Hailsham FM, which recently went live on air (95.9FM), will present the award-winning Grease Singalong film to celebrate the 40th anniversary of this iconic musical rom-com.